Golf is a sport in which competing players, using different types of clubs, attempt to hit balls into each hole on a golf course within the fewest number of strokes. The game is played on golf courses, each of which features a unique design, although courses normally consist of either 9 or 18 holes. Golf is defined, in the rules of golf, as “playing a ball with a club from the teeing ground into the hole by a stroke or successive strokes in accordance with the Rules”.
The Rules of golf, first administered by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) in 1897, have since been internationally standardized, and have been jointly administered by the R&A and the United States Gold Association since 1952.
The fundamental principles of the game as embodied in the Rules have changed little over the last Century, and despite alternate games such as ‘pitch and putt’ and ‘crazy golf’ having been developed, little in the way of innovation to the Rules of golf has occurred.
To some extent, although golf is a highly respected and valued sport, there has been a failure to innovate in the sport and lack of modification of the rules of golf has failed to introduce new challenges and opportunity for variety.
The present invention seeks to address these problems.